A Staged Reading of a Play by Vaclav Havel Václav Havel’s Protest (1978) is a searing, one-act confrontation set in Communist Czechoslovakia, where fear and betrayal are everyday currency. Staněk, a privileged, regime-friendly playwright, summons Vaněk, a blacklisted dissident, to plead for help — but hesitates when his own safety is threatened. Their tense conversation becomes a battle for the soul, exposing the corrosive power of fear and the high cost of integrity. Written as Havel himself faced brutal persecution, Protest was performed secretly, in living rooms and underground venues, defying the totalitarian state’s attempt to crush all dissent. The play remains a stark act of rebellion and an enduring cry for freedom.Starring Steven Schub (from 24, CBGB, The Chicago 8, The Thirteenth Floor, and Caught) as Staněk, and Robert Anthony Peters (from Steve Jobs and The Pursuit of Happyness, creator of Tank Man, Anthem Film Festival’s “Audience Choice”) as Vaněk. Directed by Jeffrey Carpenter, Artistic Director of Bricolage Theater.
